An IDF Lieut.-Col. killed, second officer injured in special ops action in Gaza

The special operations troops were extricated under air cover after a Hamas ambush east of Khan Younes, Sunday night, Nov. 11, Hamas reported seven dead, including a senior commander. The IDF force was discovered by Hamas while conducting a counter-terror operation and surrounded under heavy fire. An IDF lieutenant-colonel and another officer were killed. The Israeli air force was sent in and bombed the sources of enemy fire to get the men out and across the border to Israel. The massive aerial bombardment was massive enough to be heard at a far distance.
Early Monday, the IDF spokesman issued the following communique: “In the course of an operation by an IDF special unit, an exchange of fire developed during which an Israeli officer was killed and a second injured [and evacuated to hospital in Beersheba]. The operation is over. The OC Southern Command ordered the roads between 232 and the Gaza border off-limits to traffic, excepting only local residents.”

Hamas released this statement: “Am Israeli army special unit entered Gaza territory driving civilian vehicles. It reached 3km deep up to the Shahid Ismail Abu Shanav east of Khan Younes. The unit assassinated Nour Barakeh, a commander of Hamas’ armed wing. After it was discovered,” said the Hamas statement, ”the Israeli air force bombed the area to cover the withdrawal of the Israeli force, causing casualties.”

To understand what happened Sunday night, it is essential to pinpoint the moment when Hamas knew about the special Israeli unit operation, say DEBKAfile’s military sources. Were the IDF troops blown the moment they crossed the border fence? Or when they reached Khan Younes? In the worst case, Hamas had an intelligence tip-off of the coming raid and had prepared an ambush along the unit’s line of retreat.

Hamas maintains a string of observation posts along the border for surveillance of the Israel side – some from towers; others hidden behind sand dunes. Now and again, highly-trained spies steal across from Gaza into Israel unnoticed and return with information on IDF military movements and the civilian activity.

One such spy was captured on Saturday, Nov. 10, after he had covered hundreds of meters up to Netiv Ha’asarah to the north of the Gaza Strip and set fire to a greenhouse. The IDF later stated “The terrorist was under surveillance from the moment he crossed the border.” There was no explanation as to why he was not apprehended before he had time to roam free, because this kind of spying has been going on for some months without being brought to the public notice.

During nearly 8 months of border clashes between the IDF and Hamas and other Palestinian groups, these terrorists have had a chance to closely study Israel military practices, responses and norms, and learn how to counter them, whether in border clashes or in raids inside their territory in the Gaza Strip. The violent disturbances of tens of thousands of Palestinian rioters going on week after week were far from demonstrations by a needy population; they were craftily designed to understand the Israeli enemy they have sworn to destroy. What happened on Sunday night was the result. The writing had been on the wall from April

29 thoughts on “An IDF Lieut.-Col. killed, second officer injured in special ops action in Gaza”

After the Paris talks over the last details of the peace plan to impose on Arabs, and after the joy of anniversary of 101 years since The Balfour Declaration of November 2017, and of The Declaration of Armistice with Germany of November 2018, there was not much left to enjoy and all PMs and presidents had to go home.

You had several vehicles involved and their nature was quickly known. Under those circumstances almost any somewhat trained force should be able to establish an ambush and pretty much wipe out the small force. It is almost weird that the IDF did not suffer greater losses.

So far as Hizballah being better? Maybe. But it depends on just how they’ve trained and the type of experience they have had. Having been in combat does not necessarily confer superiority in all circumstances. Hamas knows their terrain very well and they’ve been studying the IDF for a long time. I’m not sure anyone is better at the particular form of combat/terrorism in which they engage because no one else actually does exactly what they do.

Hamas or Hezbolla are limited by their attachment to their country/side and local population ;
Israel has armada near its gates of over 4 million Central Asian , cut throat people , that were fighting in Afghanistan , Pakistan and many other occasions in Kashmir , and North China ; Mostly located in Jordan , and slowly transferring to Israel , Gaza, West Bank , Sinai , and even to the Saudia. What about rouge groups from Syria, Iraq, . Forget Iran , What is coming is cut throat fighting Israeli soldiers never fought . Moreover their Matkal and other crap units are not prepared for street to street combat in Israel . It is coming and you could only count 100 so called Israelis( mostly USSR born) , that actually participated in such combat , which is never ending , and really nasty. Lieberman should be removed , and no Israeli born should be put in positions of decisions. Its time has come to look for outsiders , that Israel so professionally robed from their livelihoods and their families , because Israeli rulers and population are rigged by thieves . And thieves whether anyone likes it or not have same end ….. And by the look the Israel is as well . When you treat your own like garbage –it will come back to everyone whether anyone likes or not.

Why did Israel not eliminate the violent fatastinian, fakestinian, and hamastinian, and iranistinian rioters/terrorists. One of our soldiers should take out a thousand of their terrorist rioters. One Holy Soldier of Ours should not be sacrificed for even a thousand as King Daveed says in Psalms One of us should pursue at least 10,000 of theirs!

Turkey, China, Russia and any other sane country would have destroyed Gaza long ago and put its population to the sword. Ditto for South Beirut and other Hezbollah controlled areas. Syria also. Gaza’s food, energy etc. come from Israel. Insane. This shit will never end otherwise.

“Turkey, China, Russia and any other sane country would have destroyed Gaza long ago and put its population to the sword. Ditto for South Beirut and other Hezbollah controlled areas.”

“Gaza’s food, energy etc. come from Israel. Insane.”

@bahian,

So very true but Israel is held to a different standard by the so-called “International Community” who are all commemorating what they all did to one another in Europe 100 years ago which laid the groundwork for what they all did to one another, again in Europe, 80 years ago.

Great Britain, by issuing the Balfour Declaration in 1917, allowing massive Jewish immigration until the late 1930s, and cooperating closely with the building of an emerging Jewish proto-state in Palestine, was actively pro-Zionist during most of the mandate.

At the time the widely held belief in British officialdom was that the Jews were immensely powerful in world affairs. British support for a jewish home in Palestine, it was argued would win support from “the Jews,” who the British secret services believed, were supporting the Germans, the Bolsheviks in Russia and the “Young Turks” in Constantinople and would serve as a strategic anchor for the British Empire in the Muslim Middle East. It was argued that support from international jewry would remove support from Germany in the extensive American German language press in Germany and elsewhere and finally bring the Yanks fully into the war. Of course this was actually accomplished with the Zimmerman telegram which Germany’s jewish foreign minister inexplicably authenticated.

what standard —Hamas is Israeli creation ; and in a way a Hezbolla . remember South Lebanon and sold out army of Christians –Hadad Army ;
Do not complain –Israel cannot destroy its creations –its against the nature itself.

Israel is held to a different standard not so so much by “the International Community”, as by Israel. It is because while Jews will fight to defend themselves, they do not get pleasure from the suffering of other people, not even the suffering of those who hate them. So Israelis take risks that others would not consider to save the lives of enemies who are not actively fighting, that is children and civilians.

This is not done to impress the outside world community really. It is not even a calculated strategy to change the minds of their enemies. One could hope that might happen, that such people can become more sane, but the real purpose is to live by one’s own standards, which do happen to be higher than most of the rest of the world. Yes, there is a limit to this. Suicide is not a good strategy. But we have no stomach to harm people who so far remain innocent, if this can be avoided.

A fireman will take on high risks to save people they do not know. The IDF takes on more risks than other armies to avoid civilian casualties. They do this even when those who they fight seek to hurt Jewish civilians. Again, there needs to be some kind of balance here, but underneath it all is simply a Jewish respect for life. This goes back to Biblical days when we were told not to rejoice at the loss of the Egyptian soldiers who drowned in the Reed Sea. Be thankful that you were saved, but do not celebrate their deaths.

The Labor Party in Great Britain puts the blame for what’s happening between Gaza and Israel solely on Israel, as has Turkey, South Africa, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Arab League.
What else is new?

Gath a village that the Zionists destroyed during the ‘Nakba’ which had existed continuously for 5000 years.

Gath of the Philistines’ was one of the five Philistine city-states, established in northwestern Philistia. According to the Bible, the king of the city was Achish, in the times of Saul, David, and Solomon. It is not certain whether this refers to two or more kings of this name or not. Gath was also the home city of Goliath, as well as of Itai and his 600 soldiers who aided David in his exile from Absalom. David, while running from Saul, escaped to Gath, and served under its king Achish. During Solomon’s reign, Shemei goes to Gath to return his escaped slave (I Kings 2:39–2:40). In II Kings 12:18, the city of Gath is mentioned as being captured by Hazael of Aram Damascus.

As I said before the stick has two ends and war always create casualties. Why would Israel loose an officer? That does not make a sense. If you kill one commander instantly another comes up and it is usually more radical person than the one you just have eliminated.
Look at Afghanistan and assassination of Taliban commanders. After 17 years of assassinations USA is ready for negotiations peace with Taliban. How many troops perish and for what
Now the sun’s gone to hell
And the moon’s riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die
But it’s written in the starlight
And every line on your palm
We’re fools to make war
On our brothers in arms
Songwriters: MARK KNOPFLER